'''Elvish''' is a word that refers to any of the languages of the [[Elves]], or all of them collectively. All of the Elven languages descend from the [[Primitive Quendian]].

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'''Elvish''' (Quenderin)<ref>[[Tolkien, J.R.R.]], "Tengwesta Qenderinwa 2", in: [[Parma Eldalamberon 18]] ([[2009]]), page 72</ref> is a word that refers to any of the languages of the [[Elves]], or all of them collectively. All of the Elven languages descend from the [[Primitive Quendian]].

Major splits and variations were a result of the [[Great March]] of the Elves and the other migrations of the following millennia.

Major splits and variations were a result of the [[Great March]] of the Elves and the other migrations of the following millennia.

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Tolkien had experimented with inventing languages during his youth long before creating his [[legendarium]].

Tolkien had experimented with inventing languages during his youth long before creating his [[legendarium]].

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==External links==

==External links==

Revision as of 18:00, 11 December 2009

Elvish (Quenderin)[1] is a word that refers to any of the languages of the Elves, or all of them collectively. All of the Elven languages descend from the Primitive Quendian.

Major splits and variations were a result of the Great March of the Elves and the other migrations of the following millennia.

Contents

Pronunciation

Tolkien used the Roman alphabet to write the names and words of Elvish origin in his works. Sindarin and Quenya have in most aspects very much the same rules in his spelling of the names. Tolkien used the Roman letters having in mind "neutral" values, close to their original Latin ones: open, consistent and straightforward pronunciation, without glides.

It's important to remember that, while most samples of the Elvish language are written with the Latin alphabet, within the fiction the languages were written using Tengwar, or occasionally carved in Cirth.

The following table gives pronunciation for each letter or cluster in international phonetic script and examples:

in published writing often oe has falsely been used, as in Nírnaeth Arnoediad!

u

as in cool, but shorter

[u]

not opened as in book

ú

as in cool

[uː]

/

û

(in Sindarin) the same vowel as above, but especially lengthened

[uːː]

/

y

(in Sindarin) as in French lune or German süß, but short

[y]

not found in English

ý

(in Sindarin) as in French lune or German süß

[yː]

/

ŷ

(in Sindarin) as in French lune or German süß, but even longer

[yːː]

not found in English

Consonants

(Only those differing from English are mentioned)

The letter c is always pronounced like the letter k, even before i and e.; for instance, Celeborn is pronounced Keleborn, and Cirth is pronounced Kirth.

The letter k, is attested in early, unpublished manuscripts by Tolkien, before he settled on c. It can still be found by exception on some published names such as Ekkaia, although it would be identical with *Eccaia; the difference between the two letters is only aesthetic.

Other Elvish languages

Since Tolkien, others have invented Elvish languages in their own fiction. Some of them borrow elements from Tolkien, or simply retain similar structure and appearance.

Darnassian and Thalassian, the languages of the Elves in the Warcraft universe.

Ssamath, the language of the Dark Elves or Drow of Dungeons & Dragons settings

Common Elvish, the language of the surface Elves of D&D

Eltharin, the language of the elves of Warhammer

Fan-Eltharin, the language of the Wood Elves

Tar-Eltharin, the language of the Sea Elves and High Elves

Drukh-Eltharin, the language of the Dark Elves

Elvish language of Andrzej Sapkowski's Hexer saga, based on Welsh and English

The Ancient Language The language of the elves in Eragon, also spoken by the riders.

Reymond E. Feist has coined the words Caledhel and Moredhel for races of his Elves in Midkemia; these are perfect Sindarin for "light elf" and "black elf" although as such, they haven't appeared in Tolkien's works (calben and morben are the actual Sindarin terms).

Inspiration

J. R. R. Tolkien created many languages for the Elves to compliment his books set in the fictional universe of Middle-earth. His interest was primarily philological, and he said his stories grew out of his languages. Indeed, the languages were the first thing Tolkien ever created for his mythos, starting with "Qenya", the earliest form of elvish.

Tolkien had experimented with inventing languages during his youth long before creating his legendarium.